East Africa: U.S. Senators Urge Rubio to Address Impact of Ebola Outbreak on Women

What the report says

U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska have urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to respond more aggressively to the Ebola outbreak in eastern Africa, with a particular focus on women and infants. The appeal was reported in a United States Senate press release distributed by AllAfrica and dated Washington, D.C., July 31, 2026.

According to the release, the senators asked the State Department to use congressionally approved funds for voluntary family planning, to distribute already purchased supplies, and to support United Nations Population Fund health clinics in the region. They argued that Ebola poses severe risks in pregnancy and that the outbreak is being worsened by conflict, displacement, and sexual and gender-based violence in areas including Ituri and North Kivu.

The letter also pressed the administration to issue a humanitarian exemption for UNFPA programming and noted that the organization is already operating in parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. The senators said existing infrastructure could allow aid to reach affected communities quickly.

The statement said the outbreak has spread rapidly in the DRC, with more than 2,000 confirmed cases and 796 confirmed deaths reported at the time. It also said the U.S. response is nearing $1 billion in cost, underscoring why the senators view preventive health services as both urgent and practical.